5 reasons to visit gorillas in Uganda : Uganda is among the destinations to visit for an encounter with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The experience of visiting the mountain gorillas in Uganda is done in two destinations in the country which include Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
During gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda, tourists get to enjoy watching the gorillas closely and spend 1 hour with the gorillas. There are different reasons to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda and they include the following;
- Higher chances of seeing mountain gorillas
One of the many reasons to visit the gorillas in Uganda is because the country is home to half the world’s population of mountain gorillas.
This increases the chances of seeing the gorillas during tours in Bwindi national park or Mgahinga national park where many habituated gorilla families are found. This is of the advantage to tourists visiting Uganda as compared to going to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda or Virunga national park in Congo for gorilla trekking experiences.
The highest number of gorillas in Uganda can be seen in Bwindi national park which is also a UNESCO world heritage site. Gorillas in Bwindi can be seen around the different sectors such as Buhoma sector, Rushaga sector, Nkuringo sector and Ruhija sector.
The reason to visit Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking is that the national park is part of the Virunga conservation area and three of the Virunga mountains can e seen at the destination including Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura and Mount Sabyinyo.
Tourists visiting Uganda get an opportunity to choose between gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park while Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo only have 1 destination where the gorillas can be seen in their natural habitat.
- Affordable gorilla permit price
The affordability of the gorilla permits in Uganda is another reason to visit the gorillas of Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
A permit for gorilla trekking in Uganda costs 800 USD per person which is cheaper in comparison to the gorilla permit price for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda which costs 1500 USD per person.
The gorilla permits are issued to individuals above the age of 15 years and the Uganda Wildlife Authority issues out these permits for gorilla trekking in Uganda. 8 gorilla permits are used for one gorilla trek by tourists visiting a gorilla family in the Bwindi or Mgahinga national parks.
Due to the limited number of gorilla permits issued daily for gorilla trekking in Uganda, tourists are encouraged to book these permits in advance to avoid missing out on the exciting gorilla adventure of watching the mountain gorillas closely.
Foreign residents are charged 700 USD per person for gorilla permits in Uganda wile East African citizens are charged 300,000 Uganda shillings for the gorilla permits. Citizens from the rest of Africa pay a fee of 500 USD per person to visit the gorillas of Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
The affordability of the gorilla permits in Uganda and the fact that different tour operators can plan the budget travel to see the gorillas makes it one of the reasons to visit the national parks in the country to spend time with the gorillas.
- Scenic landscape
The mountain gorillas in Uganda can be seen in destinations of high altitude including Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
Surrounded by thick forests, tourists can encounter many other primates during their gorilla trekking tours in Uganda. Some of the these primates include black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys among others.
The nature of the terrain at the gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda makes it even more exciting as tourists can engage in hiking and guided walks around the forests. The south western part of the country where Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park are located is one of the beautiful regions in the country known for scenic hills surrounded by different attractions.
There are also different trails through the forest which are followed during the search for the mountain gorillas in Uganda making it an exciting activity to do. These walks are led by ranger guides who are knowledgeable about the routes and due to the steep nature of the home of the gorillas, tourists can also hire porters to assist them during their gorilla trekking experience.
Different bird species can also be seen when visiting the gorillas in Uganda. In Mgahinga national park, tourists can see the gorillas and also see golden monkeys around the bamboo forests found at the destination.
- Easy accessibility
Another reason to visit the gorillas in Uganda is because of the different ways to access the destinations for gorilla trekking in the country.
Tourists can choose to fly to Bwindi national park or Mgahinga national park during their tours in Uganda or drive to the destinations. The airstrips used for domestic flights to the gorilla trekking destinations include Kisoro airstrip and Kihihi airstrip.
Kisoro airstrip can be used by tourists flying to Rushaga and Nkuringo in Bwindi national park and also those engaging in gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park. Kihihi airstrip is used by tourists visiting gorillas in Buhoma and Ruhija sector in Bwindi national park.
Another way to access the gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda is by driving from Entebbe or Kampala. The drive to Bwindi national park takes about 8 to 9 hours from Entebbe and the drive to Mgahinga national park takes about 10 hours.
Tourists can also access Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park by driving from Rwanda via the Cyanika border or the Gatuna border. The drive from Rwanda to the gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda is shorter and can take about 4 to 5 hours.
- Rich cultural heritage
Uganda is known for its cultural diversity and during gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda, tourists can enjoy interactions with tribes such as the Bakiga and the Batwa people.
Tourists enjoy interactions with the local communities and get to know about their way of life and culture and enjoy traditional dance performances among other exciting activities. The locals benefit from tourism in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
